Chelsea will be desperate to return to winning ways when they take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Just four more rounds of fixtures remain for the 2022/23 Premier League season to end. And battles on both ends of the table are spicing up by the day. Gameweek 35 will kick off on Saturday with four simultaneous matches. And one of those games will feature Bournemouth and Chelsea at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth began the 2022/23 Premier League season in turmoil, with Scott Parker losing his job. Gary O’Neil replaced the 42-year-old at the Vitality Stadium and has gradually galvanised the squad. And the Cherries have won four of their last five games to rise to 13th on the table. With the latest run of results, they will likely preserve their top-flight status for another campaign.
On the other hand, Chelsea will want to forget the 2022/23 season as soon as possible after going through two managers. Thomas Tuchel started the campaign at the helm before facing the axe just a month in. Graham Potter unsuccessfully replaced the German tactician before departing last month. Frank Lampard has since come in as the caretaker boss and lost all six of his games in charge, including the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal this week.
The reverse fixture saw Chelsea beat Bournemouth 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, with Kai Havertz and Mason Mount finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
How much love for Neto?! 😍 pic.twitter.com/yVfWfjutbf
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) May 4, 2023
Gary O’Neil does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Chelsea on Saturday, the Bournemouth manager might be bereft of the services of as many as six first-team players.
Ryan Fredericks (calf), Junior Stanislas (knock), and Marcus Tavernier (thigh) remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. But Hamed Traore (foot), Chris Mepham (hamstring), and Kieffer Moore (head) will have to undergo fitness tests to determine their availability.
Neto will don the armband when he lines up in the Bournemouth goal. And the Cherries will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Chelsea. Meanwhile, the defensive unit should not throw up any surprises, with Adam Smith, Marcos Senesi, Lloyd Kelly, and Matias Vina taking their spots in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Jefferson Lerma and Joe Rothwell will pair up in the double pivot. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park while looking to push Bournemouth during the transitions. And Lerma, who scored twice against Leeds United, will also provide a goal threat from the distance.
Philip Billing will be the most advanced midfielder for Bournemouth, looking to pull the strings in the final third. Meanwhile, the x-factor will come from the two wide attackers, particularly Dango Ouattara, who will trouble Chelsea with his directness. Finally, Ryan Christie and Dominic Solanke will complete the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Senesi, Kelly, Vina; Lerma, Rothwell; Ouattara, Billing, Christie; Solanke
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Bournemouth dugout, Frank Lampard has a new issue to deal with ahead of the trip to the Vitality Stadium. The Chelsea caretaker boss will be without six first-team players on Saturday.
Marc Cucurella is the latest absentee, with the Spaniard picking up a thigh injury. Cucurella has joined Marcus Bettinelli (knock), Reece James (hamstring), Kalidou Koulibaly (hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvis), and Armando Broja (knee) on the sidelines.
Focus on Saturday. 🤝#BouChe pic.twitter.com/LrrWbBxdu0
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 4, 2023
Kepa Arrizabalaga is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah should replace Cesar Azpilicueta in the defensive unit. The 23-year-old will join Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva, and Ben Chilwell in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, N’Golo Kante, Enzo Fernandez, and Mateo Kovacic, whose future remains uncertain, will create a formidable trifecta. The three players will look to add a layer of cover to the defensive unit while providing the forward thrust from the middle of the park.
Finally, the offensive unit should see wholesale changes amid Chelsea’s struggles to score goals consistently. Kai Havertz should spearhead the attack against Bournemouth, with Mykhailo Mudryk and Christian Pulisic completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Silva, Chilwell; Kante, Enzo Fernandez, Kovacic; Pulisic, Havertz, Mudryk
Key Stats
- Bournemouth have won four of their 11 Premier League games against Chelsea (D1 L6), although three of those victories have come away from home.
- Chelsea lost at Fulham and drew at Nottingham Forest earlier this season. They have not failed to win any of their three away Premier League games against promoted clubs since 2012/13 when they drew at Reading and lost to West Ham United and Southampton.
- Bournemouth won six of the most recent nine Premier League games (L3), more than they had in their first 25 this term (W5 D6 L14). The Cherries are looking to win three consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since a run of four between May and August 2018.
- Chelsea’s last six games in all competitions have resulted in a defeat. Their club record of consecutive losses is seven, which they have had twice between December-January 1960-1961, and November-December 1952.
- Frank Lampard has won none of his three Premier League meetings with Bournemouth (D1 L2), losing 3-0 with Everton earlier this term. He has only faced Liverpool more often without ever winning in the competition (5).
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
It has taken Dominic Solanke a long time to find his feet in senior-level football. But he is finally starting to make his mark as a Premier League footballer. And he has been a talismanic figure for Bournemouth in the recent run of brilliant results.
The 25-year-old has been involved in six goals in his last seven Premier League games (three goals, three assists), just one fewer than in his first 22 appearances this season (three goals, four assists). And as he prepares to take against his former club Chelsea, the Bournemouth striker will be eager to stamp his authority at the Vitality Stadium.
Prediction
Bournemouth 2-1 Chelsea
The memes are ready from the troll factory. Frank Lampard has lost his first six games as Chelsea’s caretaker boss, and he might go 0-0-7 on Saturday. And things do not get any easier against an in-form Bournemouth, despite the Cherries’ lowly stature.
The hosts have been splendid in the last few weeks and will not make things easy for Chelsea. But the Blues should find a way to beat Neto this weekend. However, finding the back of the net once will not be enough to stop Chelsea’s rut, with Dominic Solanke likely to strike again. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Gary O’Neil and his charges.
